President Trump’s First Budget Commits Significant Resources to Fight the Opioid Epidemic

FY 2018 budget request includes $27.8 billion in drug control efforts

Washington, D.C. – Today, Richard Baum, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy, announced drug-related requests in the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2018 Budget. The President’s Budget, submitted to the U.S. Congress today, supports $27.8 billion in drug control efforts including prevention, treatment, and law enforcement. Specifically, it supports $1.3 billion in investments for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act programs, 21st Century CURES Act programs, and other opioid-specific initiatives that seek to address the current epidemic.

“The President’s 2018 Budget calls for a larger investment in drug control policy than the annualized FY 17 continuing resolution level,” said Richard Baum, Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy. “By funding critical public health and public safety efforts, this budget demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to stopping drugs from entering the country and supporting treatment efforts to address the burgeoning opioid epidemic.”

The FY 2018 Request includes:

$12.1 billion for treatment and prevention efforts, and a $15.6 billionrequest for law enforcement, interdiction, and international initiatives.

$10.8billion in treatment funding, which is an increase of nearly 2% from annualized FY 2017 continuing resolution levels. This includes $500millionin State grants authorized in the 21st Century CURES Act to reduce opioid misuse and improve access to treatment, prevention, and recovery services.

The budget request also secures our borders by investing $468.6 million in drug-related funding to support the President’s request for high-priority tactical infrastructure and border security technology to stem the flow of people, drugs, and other illicit material illegally crossing the border.

A $246.5 million request for ONDCP’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program and a $91.9 million request for its Drug-Free Communities Support program – both are the highest funding amounts ever requested.

Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicate that the overall rate of current drug use among Americans 12 and older has beenincreasing gradually, from 8.3 percent in 2002 to 10.2 percent in 2014—an increase of 23 percent. This increase is driven by an increase in marijuana use, rising from 6.2 percent in 2002 to 8.4 percent in 2014—an increase of 35 percent.

Earlier this year, President Trump created the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. The Commission, which is being chaired by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, is studying ways to combat and treat drug misuse, addiction, and the opioid epidemic. In coordination with ONDCP and the Office of American Innovation, it will make recommendations to the President for improving the Federal response to the opioid crisis.